Viva Timor-Leste - Viva Kirsty Sword Gusmão!
Flying to Dili the day after hosting a WOW festival in Cairns is not something I would recommend for your body regardless of your age! But as an experience for the mind and soul, the insight I have just had into the history, politics and work of women leaders of our closest neighbour has been second to none.
Children wait to be invited onto the grandstand to greet President Jose Ramos Horta during the 20th anniversary celebrations of Timor Lestes restoration of independence on May 20. Photo credit: Allegra-Mendel.
It was organised and hosted by former first lady Kirsty Sword Gusmão, who many will remember for her own incredible story as told in A Woman of Independence and some may have met during her involvement in past WOW festivals in Brisbane and Katherine. This seven day study tour was to understand the history and contemporary life of the world’s youngest democracy and specifically to my interests, it was to see and hear first-hand the work of community led organisations (a number started by Kirsty herself) in delivering much needed services and opportunities for women and girls.
These included the Xanana Gusmão Reading Room providing resources to young people to continue their education after school and scholarships for young women to attend university; Fundasaun Alola (The Alola Foundation), whose specific purpose is to improve the lives of women and girls through Education, Maternal and Child Health, Advocacy, and Economic Empowerment. You can find out more by watching CEO Maria Imaculada Guterres filmed as part of our WOW Bites series in 2020.
Then there was one of the first non profits working in this space, Fokupers formed in 1997 to address gender based violence, particularly those committed at the time of the Indonesian occupation and now providing a range of services, non-gender based early childhood education, and the operation of shelters. And I will not forget the amazing food prepared by the young women chefs at social enterprise restaurant Ahi Matan a must for anyone visiting Dili.
Kirsty Sword-Gusmão with Juliana dos Santos and her mother. Photo credit: Bryan Ross.
The timing of this trip was memorable for so many reasons, the first being the opportunity to meet with the woman who had inspired Kirsty to set up the Alola Foundation 20 years ago and after whom it is named - Juliana (Alola) dos Santos. Juliana’s story was recently told by the ABC and can be seen here. Her kidnap as a ‘war trophy’ in 1999 at the age of 15 and remarkable recent escape across the border, just one of the many many stories Timor Leste has to share with the world today that demonstrate the on-going brutality of war on the lives of women and girls.
The second was the opportunity to attend a presidential inauguration. Listening to newly elected (second term) President Jose Ramos Horta promise 100% gender equality in his inauguration address (biggest cheer from the assembled crowd) was one thing. But then to witness his call for the police to open the gates of the official ceremony to hundreds of children watching from afar and inviting them to join the international dignitaries on stage and enter the official reception to share the feast, was something I doubt any leader in the world has done before. A symbol of unity, of hope and belief in youth as the future of Timor.
Traditional welcome at the Xanana Gusmão Reading Room. Photo credit: Bryan Ross.
Other highlights were; visiting Centro Nacional Chega (a living monument of the suffering and human rights violations from 1975-1999); dinner with the former Minister of Education talking about the challenges facing education. We were able to see first hand one of the challenges as there is very little money in the government budget to rebuild schools which either falling down or in terrible disrepair. Spend It Well is an Australian charity (all administration costs are separately funded, so 100% of donated funds go directly to the nominated project) and it was wonderful to see their latest school project in Vatunau.
As a country we owe much to the Timorese, including for their role in World War Two and I can only hope that here, a change of government will recognise the need to re-calibrate the relationship between our two countries, dismiss court proceedings against Australian Barrister Bernard Collaery for his work on behalf of the Country (there are many sources for a history of this case but check out the always reliable johnmenadue.com blog) and further support the appropriate economic and social development of this remarkable country.
And watching the endless stream of people (young girls in particular) flock to have their photo taken with ‘Mana’ Kirsty during this trip, I realised just how much one person can do when they use a position of influence to create change and the on-going impact this humble, quietly spoken, yet determined Australian continues to have on Timor Leste and its people. For our part I have included the websites of these organisations so that you too can read about their work and maybe find ways to offer your help and support.
We will continue our discussions with Kirsty, Nandy Gurr (Alola Foundation Australia) and the women I met, to talk further about the opportunity to host a WOW Festival in Dili in the near future, so we can play our role in bringing to global attention the stories of women and girls in first fighting for, and now shaping this Nation for the future – watch this space!
Cathy Hunt
Cathy is a cultural strategist, and as co-founder and director of consultancy company Positive Solutions has worked across Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and in the UK. She is also the Executive Director of cultural enterprise Of One Mind, producers of the WOW (Women of the World) Festivals in Australia in partnership with the global WOW Foundation. Cathy is also an advisory board member of the Foundation.
Cathy is a Board member of Screen Queensland; on the Advisory Board of the Yunus Centre for Social Business at Griffith University and also Executive in Residence in the Griffith Business School.
